Garment-stay.



H. S. BREWINGTON.

GARMENT STAY.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 21, I9I4- Patented May 23, 1916.

INVENTOR fit,

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH HENRY s. BREWINGTON, or BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR 'I'O TH srInELLA COMPANY, or MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATIONOF rEN sYLvANIA.

GARMENT-STAY.

Specification of Letters I Patent.

PatentedMay 23, 1916.

Application filed July 21, 1914. Serial No. 852,261. 1

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY S. BREWING- TON, a resident of Baltimore city and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Garment-Stays, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to wire garment stays, and particularly to stays for use in corsets and other like articles of wearing apparel.

Theobject of the invention isto provide a stay for this purpose which can be readily fabricated; which includes a long length of wire ina stay of given dimensions; so that wear and bending stresses are not so liable to be concentrated at any one point with consequent crystallization of the metal and breakage or the production of a permanent set on repeated or short bends; whichis resilient and resists bending in all directions, but more so in certain directions than in others, due to its unsymmetrical form, a property which is of material advantage in corset and like garment stays; and in which the actions are different when the stay is bent in opposite directions both flatwise and edgewise so that its best action or effect can be chosen for each particular use.

The invention comprises a stay constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the invention, Figure 1 is a face view of one form of stay; Fig. 2 is an edge view thereof; and Figs. 3 to 7 are views corresponding to Fig. l and illustrating other embodiments of the invention.

The stay is formed of wire, and in the embodiments illustrated in the drawings is formed of a single wire 1, which'is bent back and forth across thestay to form a series of oval, rounded, or elongated eyes or loops 2, connected successively by a series of longitudinally extending portions3. The eyes or loops 2 are substantially closed and extend clear across the stay from edge to edge thereof, each loop or eye being formed by one continuous crossing portion 4 which extends clear across the stay, and which forms one side of the loop or eye, the other side thereof being formed by two discontinuous shorter crossing portions 5,, which may meet at or near the middle line of the stay and which merge into successive longi:

tudinally extending portions 3 of the wire. The longitudinally extending portions 3 may be of such length that the loops or eyes are separated from each other, as shown inFlg. 1, or, if desired, successive loops or eyes may overlap each other to any desired amount, as indicated at- 6, Fig. 3, theamount of overlap increasing as the length of the longitudinally extending portions 3 decreases. Figs. 5 to7 show less overlap than in the form'illustrated in Fig. ,3.

The eyes or.loops2 may be of any suitable shape, either oval-orelongated, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, substantially rectangular with roundedcorners,as shown in Fig. 4, or may even be circular, the loops shown in Figs. 5 and 7 belng morenearly circularthan in the form of stay shown in Fig. 1. The nar. rower or more elongated loops increase the total lengthofwire in a stay of given dimensions, and, when the severalloops overlap each other, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5,

the stay consists of a very close network of the wires. The longitudinally extending portions 3 of the wire may lie along the me-v dian line of the'stay or on either side thereof at any suitable position between the edges of the stay and may extend in a line parallel withjthe length of the stay or may be angularly disposed. For example, the longitudinally extending portions-3in Figs. 1, 3, t and '5 are in line with each other and extend parallel to the length of the stay along its middle line. In the form shown in Fig. 7.,

the longitudinally extending portions marked 3, are in line with each other and extend in aline parallel with the length of the stay, but are at one side of its median line. In the form shown in Fig. 6 thelongitudinally extending portions, marked 3", arealso at one side of the median lineof the stay and, while in a row longitudinally of the stay, are inclined or at an angle to its,

length. Also, in this form ofthe stay and'in the form shown in Fig. 5 the shorter crossing portions 5 lie parallel with the continuous I crossing portion 4 and overlap the same, so-that there is a long bearing of the crossing portions vof the wire upon each other and the wear is distributed over a long .1

length ofwire. I

Allforms of the invention illustrated are simple, are readily; fabricated, and are flexible and resilient in all directions. The stay,

however, is unsymmetrical, sothat it ,acts

difi'erently when bent orfiexed in different directions, When bent in one directlon edgecome. of patent may he obtained for wise the coils or convolutions all close up and the adjacent portions of successive longitudinal portions of the wire and the alined portions of the discontinuous/crossing portions of the wire along the middle portion a of the stay approach or may even abut each other, WVhenbent in the opposite edgewise direction the loops or convolutions open out or distend and the stay may become longer and is more flexible When bent in the two flatwise directions the effects are also different due to the effect that the longitudinal portions of the wire are all on one face of the stay while thetransverse por-' tions are on-its other face- "Consequently,

the longitudinal and transverse portions-are brought closer together when the'stay is bent one wayand are opened out or separated when' it is bentthe other way; These different effects are taken advantage of by so placing the stay in the corset or other article that it will offer the greatest resistance to bending and'i's most resilient in that direction inwhich it is most often bent in use of the corset or otherfgarment. At the same time the stay is strongeran'dmore durable than most prior stays, due to the mutual bracing effect of the loopslorconvolutions,

the longitudinal portions "and the crossing portions of the wire upon each other, and

the distribution of wear between overlapping portions of the wire over aconsiderable length of the Wire, which avoids con centration of wear and crystallization of the metal at single pointsfso' that thestay is not liable to break ortake a permanent set when bent repeatedly or on a shortradius What I claim is:' 1. A garment stay," comprising wire bent or'coiled to form a series-'ofloop's or con volutions eachj lying in the general fiat plane of the stay and extendingfroin edge to edge thereof and including closed end portions at the edges'of the stay and two transverse.

crossing portions, one of said crossing portions being normalto thelength of the stay and continuous from one of its edges to the other and the other consisting of two distinct oppositely disposed portions of the wire extending inwardly fromth'e edges of the stay toward its middle portion and which are continuous with longitudinally extending portions of the wire connecting oportlons of successive loops corresponding or convolutions i p 2. A garment stay, comprising wire bent or coiled to form, a series of "loops or convolutions each lying inthe general flat plane of the stay and; extending from edge to edge" thereof and including closed end portions at the edges of thefstay and two transverse crossing portions, one of said crossing portions being continuous from edge to edge of the stay and the other consisting of two-distinct oppositely disposed portions of the wire extending from the edges of the stay toward its middle portion and which are continuous with longitudinally extending portions ofthe wire disposed end to end along the middle line of the stay and connecting corresponding portions of successive loops or convolutions.

3. A garment stay, comprising wire bent or coiled to form a series of loops or convolutions each lying in the general flat plane of the stay and extending from edge to edge thereof and including closed end portions at the edges of the stay and two transverse crossing portions, one of said crossing portions being normal to'the length of the stay or coiled to form a series of loops or con volutions each lying in the general flat plane of the stay and extending from edge toed'ge thereof and including closed end portions at the edges of the stay and two transverse crossing portions, one of said crossing portions being continuous from edge to edge of the stay and the other consisting-of two distinct oppositely disposed portions of the wire extending from the edges of the stay toward its mid dle portion and which are continuous with longitudinally extending portions of the wire disposed end to end along the middle line of the stay and crossing said loops or convolutions and connecting corresponding portions of successive loops or convolutions, said continuous crossing portions lying wholly on one face of the stay and said longitudinally extending portions of the wire lying wholly on its other face.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. i HENRY- s. BREWINGTON.

Witnesses E. WALTON BRnwINGToN,

- MARY M. .MAGRAW.

five cents each, by addressing the' Commissioner of Patents weshingtomnc. I 

